Rice Military Homes By Annmarie Velasquez

If you are looking Houston properties in an up and coming, family friendly, neighborhood, you should give strong consideration to the Rice Military Homes. This vibrant upper middle class neighborhood is located in Houston's Inner Loop in close proximity to Memorial Park and a wide variety of other amenities. Just west of downtown, Rice Military homes give you the best of two worlds, an exciting urban lifestyle, and easy access to the natural beauty of Memorial Park. Making your home in one of the choice pieces of real estate offered in the Rice Military Homes area may be one of the best decisions you will ever make.

The Rice Military Homes area is named such as the area was formerly owned by the Rice Family. Its close proximity to Camp Logan contributed "Military" to the neighborhoods moniker. The area began its life as a residential area in 1910 and has been growing, and improving, steadily ever since. The Rice Military area has been embracing modernization since the 1980's and has grown trendier every year.

The perks of living in the Rice Military area are many. One of the biggest advantages is its close proximity to the amazing 1,500 acre Memorial Park. Memorial park has a variety of amenities, including a golf course, a nature center, the Houston Arboretum, six miles of bike and nature trails, a swimming pool, a fitness center, open space, and a variety of sports fields. On the other hand you also will have easy access to Houston's downtown arts and museum district, and lots of amazing shopping. In the museum district alone you can visit the Houston Zoo, the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, and more. Purchasing Houston real estate in this area, gives you the best of both the indoor and outdoor worlds.

Real estate available in the Rice Military area consists primarily of Townhouses, condominiums, and single family homes. The median price range for real estate in these Homes is $200-600,000.00. Most of the homes have spacious layouts and large garages. The exteriors of most of the beautiful homes in this area exude a trendy modern feel. This neighborhood is a mecca for both young professionals and more affluent people alike. Purchasing real estate in these homes is a good investment, whether you are seeking a starter home, or an investment, as the neighborhood is growing and appreciating more every year.

Whether you decide to purchase real estate in Rice Military Homes for its urban appeal, its proximity to outdoor activities, or both, you are sure to find something that suits your tastes in this neighborhood. The Houston real estate market boasts many great neighborhoods, but these sets it's self apart with its diversity of urban and recreational activities in close proximity. If you stop to have a look around you will likely find that Rice Military Homes may be just what you are seeking in a neighborhood for yourself or your family.

Considered as one of the most wanted neighborhoods in Houston, Texas, Rice Military homes are an amazing place to live with your family and loved ones.

Green Homes: The New Black? By Diane Bucka

In today's over-saturated real estate market, sellers looking for ways to distinguish their properties are touting environmentally friendly and energy-saving features. Recent publications list numerous measures green builders are taking to attempt to capture this market advantage. While home sales remain flat or in decline, the ability to claim certification from the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program, the National Association of Home Builders, or the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Homes program adds some credibility to green status and translates to increased marketability... or does it?

What do the green certifications really mean to buyers when there may be a lack of overarching standards for the certifying entities? To earn the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star certification, a home needs to be at least 20 percent more efficient than the benchmark for a standard new home. The "bronze" level of certification from the National Association of Home Builders requires adding a few features, such as low-flow toilets, energy-efficient windows to block out heat and dust, and prefabricated roof trusses. These measures - in addition to state and federal tax credits that may also apply - certainly have merit, but how do they convey value to a potential buyer?

Some industry experts believe that the absence of a clear national standard leads to confusion, preventing easy comparisons for both new and existing homes.

Home sellers, and contractors specializing in green retrofits, would do well to focus on measures that enhance indoor environmental quality along with basic energy efficiency. So in addition to swapping conventional light bulbs for CFL's, removing asbestos, using low VOC paints, and switching to eco-friendly floor coverings, suggested practices include energy audits and working with qualified consultants to vet your green cred and tap into the possibility of enhanced marketing opportunities.

It is difficult to ascertain the connection between taking steps to green a home - either through new building or energy retrofits - and direct return on investments for these measures. A recent McGraw Hill study showed 81% of home buyers would prefer to buy a green home, even in this sluggish economy. However, buyers' willingness to pay a premium for green features seems to be connected to how long it takes to recover their investment than environmental concerns. Rising utility rates could well provide the impetus to elevate this as a priority that might influence buying decisions. And even if consumers are unwilling to pay a premium for energy-efficient features, they may well be a distinction that helps move one property over another.

Energy Efficient Mortgages + Distressed Real Estate = A Match Made in Heaven! By David A Krebs

The housing market crash resulted in a surge in foreclosures and bank owned properties, especially in the Miami market. Foreclosures and REO properties are typically considered distressed properties because of deferred maintenance. If you're thinking of buying one of these properties, you should know that these distressed properties will likely need some work, and will seldom be move in ready. Homeowners in foreclosure often neglect essential upkeep, or worse, may even vandalize/strip their properties down when they learn that the bank is coming in to take over.

According to RealtyTrac, about twenty-five percent of all residential sales for the fourth quarter of 2010 were either REO (real estate owned) or short sales. On average, these homes sold for roughly forty percent less than comparable (non-distressed) homes. The undesirable conditions of these properties make most buyers walk. Given the current depressed economic climate, most homeowners are not eager or able to complete high-end remodeling projects. However, through an energy efficient mortgage (EEM; aka energy improvement mortgage) program, remodeling and renovating can be very affordable, requiring minimal, if any, out of pocket costs. And with the help of an energy efficient mortgage, these distressed properties can be transformed into ideal green homes.

Distressed properties may require simple sustainable projects, like replacing older features or upgrading basic systems to take advantage of energy efficient improvements, or more involved projects such as complete kitchen renovation. Maybe the place needs a new roof, new flooring, or has an electric system that is not up to code. EEMs allow the homebuyer to obtain financing to purchase a house in need of such repairs or modernizations, and incorporate the additional funds needed for the rehabilitation into the mortgage. EEMs allow for renovations and sustainable improvements up to $45,000, which, when rolled into the mortgage would result in a payment increase in the ballpark of $270.* That's much easier to swing than fronting $45K!!! This program is perfect for those who are first time home buyers, or for those with limited cash for a down payment/closing costs/renovation expenses.

So, if you want to get a great deal on a house but don't have the money that may be needed to renovate a foreclosed/REO property, think twice before you pass on buying a distressed property. An EEM may be just the solution for you!

*based on a 6% interest rate, 30 year amortization schedule

Certified in Energy Improvement Mortgages
FHA 203k
Specializing in distressed properties offering borrowers an opportunity rehabilitate the cost of energy-efficient "green" improvements.

Why We Need Solar Systems As Standard Home Options By Luca Brammer

Solar photovoltaic and solar thermal systems are gaining in popularity, especially in the South West United States where, according to SolarBuzz.Com, growth rates for new solar system installations by 2014 will increase by as much as 10 times that of the market size in 2009. One would think that with such phenomenal growth rates, more home manufacturers, factor built builders especially, would add solar pv and solar thermal systems as standard options.

So why don't more manufacturers do this since the solar market seems to be taking off? The answer lies primarily in the development cost of associated with providing new options of any kind to consumers. Developing new home options that require complex engineering plans and designs is not cheap. A home builder that want to add energy efficiency options in to the mix of what they offer consumers can look at having to bankroll a development project for years before they may see any real return on investment. This, primarily, is the reason most installations of solar systems happen on existing homes and not be developers themselves.

Some home builders do offer these systems as options but, quite frankly, these companies are few and far between. We project that as the industry continues to increase in terms of demand, more home builders in the South West will look to add these options in to their regular product offerings to not only meet consumer demand, but also as a new profit center. Why should these systems be offered only after market?

California comprises almost 50% of all new solar system installations annually. Even though the housing market may be in a downward spiral, new home sales, especially in the manufactured home market, are doing well due mostly to the reduced overall cost as compared to site built homes. While consumers may turn to the factory built variety of homes to save their hard earned dollars, they still want high end options available to them.

Cost savings is one of the driving forces that makes consumers want to invest in solar systems. I predict that home builders that offer homes in the South West United States will begin offering more options to meet people's needs in the solar arena, not because its good to do so necessarily, but more so because of demand and the ability to create a new profit center within existing businesses. Energy efficient home options that include PV and solar thermal systems should be standard options in the near future.

Luca Brammer is the Director of Business Development for Hallmark-Southwest Corporation. Hallmark-Southwest is a builder of California manufactured homes specializing in energy efficient home design and Net-Zero energy efficiency.